Has Prabhas' Salaar brought the conversation around pan-Indian cinema back to the South?

The official teaser of Prabhas’ Salaar was released on Thursday, July 6, much to the delight of fans. It features the actor in an intense avatar as he gears up for conflict. Salaar is touted to be a treat for the mass audience and has created a great deal of buzz as it marks the Darling star’s first collaboration with Prashanth Neel, the brain behind the Yash-led KGF franchise.

It, however, represents much more than merely the coming together of two powerhouses. If all goes well, Salaar has brought the conversation around pan-Indian cinema back to the South.

3 things you need to know

• Prabhas will be seen as a 'violent man' in Salaar.
• The film is directed by Prashanth Neel.
• Salaar is Prabhas' first film after Adipurush,

Will Prabhas undo the change he brought about?

Prabhas, who has headlined multiple big-budget films since the release of Baahubali 2 (2017), is broadly speaking the only star to have a strong pan-India presence. While many of his peers  too have tried to expand their fanbase, the fact remains that they simply don’t have enough big-ticket films under their belt. As such, Prabhas has essentially defined the space with his choices.

Post Baahubali 2, the mass hero has been associated with films that cater primarily to a Hindi audience. Take Adipurush (2023) for instance. It starred Kriti Sanon, an established Bollywood actress, as the leading lady. Moreover, Saif Ali Khan played the antagonist Lankesh in the biggie. 

(Adipurush was perceived to be a Hindi film | Image: Instagram)

The same applied to Saaho (2019). It was backed by T-series, a Bollywood banner. Moreover, it starred Shraddha Kapoor as the leading lady. She was projected to be the face of the film in the Hindi belt. 

Salaar will play out differently on this front as it is backed by Hombale Films, a Sandalwood banner. Further its cast features names such as Prithviraj Sukumaran and Shruti Haasan, who enjoy a dedicated fan following in the South. This suggests that the makers won’t be relying on a Bollywood face for promotions. 

Prashanth Neel’s style is hard to ignore

Adipurush was projected as a straight Hindi film as it came from Om Raut, who had previously directed the Bollywood blockbuster Tanhaji (2020). Sujeeth’s Saaho and Radha Krishna Kumar’s Radhe Shyam too were perceived to be T-series ventures as the directors did not have their distinct styles

(Prabhas in the official poster of Salaar | Image:Twitter)

Neel, on the other hand, has a trademark approach to storytelling. His films feature action scenes, hero elevation sequences and detailed buildup. Salaar, going by the teaser, has these ingredients. The makers further established that the film comes from the South by projecting it as a straight Telugu film. In fact, the mave played down the Hindi release by mentioning it right towards the end of the teaser. 

The KGF connect

South cinema is home to big ticket franchises, which proved to be money spinners in the Hindi belt, namely Baahubali and KGF. Salaar is said to be a part of the latter. This perception stems from the fact that their posters are similar to the ones for the Yash-led film series. Easwari Rao, who played a key role in KGF 2, plays Prabhas’ mother in Salaar. This too suggests that the films may be connected. Regardless of whether this is true, Prabhas’ film has once again re-ignited the interest of the masses in pakka South cinema. 

So, will Salaar be able to mark the beginning of a drastic shift as far as pan-Indian cinema is concerned? We’ll find out when the film opens in theatres on September 28.